Jörg Geiger Teasecco. Sparkling organic tea drink made from green Darjeeling tea and meadow fruit, alcohol-free, delicately sweet with a tart core.

Jörg Geiger Teasecco is a sparkling, alcohol-free organic drink from Schlat on the Swabian Alb: apple, pear and peach juice, de-alcoholised cider and 2% green tea, 0.0% ABV, 750 ml. Not iced tea, not sparkling wine – a tea aperitif for the flute.

Teasecco by Jörg Geiger brings two origins together in one bottle: juice from heirloom apple and pear varieties from Swabian meadow orchards and green Darjeeling tea from India. This is complemented by peach juice, herbs, spices and a proportion of de-alcoholised cider. The craft brewery produces it as part of its own range, separate from PriSecco and the numbered cuvées. According to the producer, the fruit, tea and cider come from organic farming; the drink is EU organic-certified and vegan. Saturday afternoon, friends on the terrace, and not everyone wants sparkling wine. Then a bottle is placed on the table, which bubbles in the glass like an aperitif and tastes of meadow fruit and tea garden.

Taste

It starts fruity and then turns tart, and this very contrast is its character. On the nose, apple and pear are prominent, accompanied by sweet peach notes and the spicy, tart side of the green tea. On the palate, a delicately sweet start is immediately followed by the tart tea notes in the mid-palate. With 5.9 g of sugar per 100 ml, the drink remains light; the sweetness comes from the juices. The effervescence is fine and makes the tea lively in the mouth without overpowering it.

The Cuvée No. 31 also uses Darjeeling. It smells of lemon balm and marigold and has a creamy, mineral finish. Here, however, organic ingredients, peach and de-alcoholised cider shape the glass. Anyone expecting a sweet fruit drink will be surprised by the tea in the mid-palate.

Serving

Chilled to 8 to 10°C and served in a sparkling wine flute, it shows its freshness best. Jörg Geiger recommends it as an aperitif with roasted nuts, olives or fine cheese biscuits. As a starter, it pairs well with fresh goat cheese with apple, fennel or herbs. The tea note also suits Asian-inspired cuisine: sushi, summer rolls and mildly spiced Thai salads.

It also accompanies vegetarian dishes with green components and moderate seasoning, from herb salad to stir-fried vegetables with sugar snap peas. Because it is sparkling, it is also suitable for welcoming guests before food is served. One bottle is enough for about six sparkling wine glasses, ideal for a small group before the meal.

Our tip: Serve a small bowl of fresh mint and coriander with the summer rolls. The herbs bring the green side of the tea to the fore.

Origin

The fruit in this bottle grows in traditional orchards on the slopes of the Alb, the tea in the gardens of Darjeeling. The Jörg Geiger craft brewery is located in Schlat on the edge of the Swabian Alb. Its raw material is called Swabian meadow fruit: heirloom, often tart apple and pear varieties from standard trees, supplied by local farmers. Every step of the process remains in-house from delivery to bottling.

Jörg Geiger is a trained chef and took over his parents' inn, Lamm, in 1997 at the age of 22. In 2003, he bottled his first alcohol-free PriSecco. Since then, sparkling compositions of fruit, herbs and spices have been produced in Schlat. The green tea brings a tartness to the glass that comes largely from the tea leaf itself.

For whom

Teasecco is for anyone looking for an alcohol-free drink with a tea character and who enjoys the tartness of an aperitif. It suits hosts who want to offer something unique alongside wine, people taking a break, and family brunch. Those who prefer something more floral and darker should choose the rosé variant with hibiscus tea and de-alcoholised wine. You can find all the craft brewery's bottles on our Jörg Geiger page.

Note: The de-alcoholised cider contains sulfites. The drink is not suitable for everyone looking for a sweet sparkling fruit drink – the green tea remains noticeably tart.

Green tea from Darjeeling and fruit from the Alb, sparkling in a flute – the alcohol-free Teasecco for aperitifs and light cuisine.